NALP, ABA at odds over law school employment data

The relationship between the American Bar Association and the National Association for Law Placement may be a victim of the bad market for law school graduates.

In the past, the ABA has relied on NALP to collect and sort detailed data from law schools about jobs and salaries.

But according to the The National Law Journal, the ABA’s Section of Legal Education and Admission to the Bar now wants law schools to send that information directly to the section.

The ABA says it believes it needs to play a more direct role in the employment reporting process because it is responsible for accrediting law schools.

NALP says the ABA is needlessly requiring duplicate reporting by law schools and misappropriating the research and reporting process NALP has used for 37 years. The association hinted at a lawsuit to protect what it views as its intellectual property.